Key Takeaways
- • Pillsbury added Valeska Pederson Hintz, a startup and venture capital lawyer with nearly two decades of experience, as its tenth startup-focused lateral partner hire in two years, strengthening its emerging companies practice in Austin and extending reach into Silicon Valley and high-growth sectors including AI, defense technology, biotech, deeptech, and energytech.
- • Hintz's arrival marks Pillsbury's 50th lateral partner hire since the beginning of 2025, part of an aggressive recruitment strategy concentrated across Austin, Silicon Valley, San Francisco, New York, Washington, and London that aligns with explosive growth in the firm's venture financing activity.
- • Pillsbury's venture financing activity jumped more than 50 percent in 2025, with publicly announced financings handled by the firm exceeding $8.5 billion through July 2026, including recent work on Stoke Space Technologies' $2.3 billion Series E financing, demonstrating the firm's positioning within a high-volume market.
- • The lateral hiring spree reflects a deliberate market strategy to acquire talent and client relationships in venture capital and technology ecosystems at a time when institutional capital flowing into emerging companies remains elevated and portable books of business command premium valuations.
Summary
Pillsbury announced the addition of Valeska Pederson Hintz as a partner in its Emerging Companies and Venture Capital practice, joining the firm's Austin office from Ashurst Perkins Coie, where she held a partner position. Hintz brings nearly two decades of experience advising companies and investors across venture financings, initial public offerings, mergers and acquisitions, and other liquidity events. Her hire represents the firm's tenth startup-focused lateral partner addition in just two years and its 50th overall lateral partner hire since the beginning of 2025.
Hintz's arrival strengthens Pillsbury's presence in the Texas technology market while providing institutional connections into Silicon Valley and specialized expertise across high-value sectors including artificial intelligence, defense technology, biotech, deeptech, and energytech. The firm has concentrated its 2025 recruitment effort across major technology and venture hubs—Austin, Silicon Valley, San Francisco, New York, Washington, and London—acquiring emerging companies counsel, venture capital fund advisers, and technology-focused partners to expand its service capacity.
The hiring acceleration directly correlates with significant growth in Pillsbury's core venture financing business. The firm reported that its venture financing activity increased more than 50 percent in 2025. Through July 2026, Pillsbury's publicly announced venture financings exceeded $8.5 billion in aggregate value, including recent representation of Stoke Space Technologies in a $2.3 billion Series E financing round. This transaction volume demonstrates the firm's elevated market position within institutional venture capital markets.
The lateral recruitment strategy reflects a straightforward institutional thesis: technology companies, venture capital funds, and their surrounding ecosystem represent durable sources of high-value legal services and client relationships. In a competitive lateral market increasingly defined by portable books of business and client mobility, Pillsbury's investment in partner talent acquisition positions the firm to capture significant portions of venture financing, emerging company advisory, and growth-stage transaction activity during a period of sustained capital deployment in technology and innovation sectors.
Hintz's arrival strengthens Pillsbury's presence in the Texas technology market while providing institutional connections into Silicon Valley and specialized expertise across high-value sectors including artificial intelligence, defense technology, biotech, deeptech, and energytech. The firm has concentrated its 2025 recruitment effort across major technology and venture hubs—Austin, Silicon Valley, San Francisco, New York, Washington, and London—acquiring emerging companies counsel, venture capital fund advisers, and technology-focused partners to expand its service capacity.
The hiring acceleration directly correlates with significant growth in Pillsbury's core venture financing business. The firm reported that its venture financing activity increased more than 50 percent in 2025. Through July 2026, Pillsbury's publicly announced venture financings exceeded $8.5 billion in aggregate value, including recent representation of Stoke Space Technologies in a $2.3 billion Series E financing round. This transaction volume demonstrates the firm's elevated market position within institutional venture capital markets.
The lateral recruitment strategy reflects a straightforward institutional thesis: technology companies, venture capital funds, and their surrounding ecosystem represent durable sources of high-value legal services and client relationships. In a competitive lateral market increasingly defined by portable books of business and client mobility, Pillsbury's investment in partner talent acquisition positions the firm to capture significant portions of venture financing, emerging company advisory, and growth-stage transaction activity during a period of sustained capital deployment in technology and innovation sectors.
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